musing on writing & the creative life

Back from Big Sur: Writer’s Boot Camp

Tree limbs lay everywhere, strewn about paths and roads by high winds from the day before. Workers busied themselves with chainsaws and leafblowers. Some of the cabins lost power at three in the morning. Yet the biannual writing workshop at Pfeiffer Park was not canceled, and the fifty or so writer attendees, plus a scattering of agents and editors, soldiered on.

Andrea Brown, whose kidlit agency organizes the workshop, describes it as a “boot camp for writers,” and in retrospect that feels about right. Unlike SCBWI events, this one had few info sessions. Mostly we went to critique groups, rewrote or revised, and if we had time printed our new stuff out for the next go-round. Copious amounts of coffee were drunk and normal sleeping routines shelved for the weekend. Big Sur is famed for its hiking paths and beautiful beaches, and I did manage to squeeze in a nice hike to a waterfall. But the only time I saw the ocean was during the drive in and the drive out.

We were serious, man.

Also, in turns, hilarious, thought-provoking, delightful, infuriating, and…did I say infuriating? Ah well, the hazards of critiquing with strangers. I must say, though, that despite getting every emotion in my mind and body pushed, I somehow wrangled a decent revision of my opening two chapters into shape. It wasn’t the satori experience I’d hoped for, but I did get a better idea of what I need to do in order for Those Who Know Best to consider my manuscript fit for public consumption.

Like many conference/workshop trips I’ve made in California, I met some people whose personality and professional presence made my experience that much more valuable. This time I especially enjoyed Ellen Hopkins, author of best-selling Crash and a number of other YA novels. Ellen proved to be a fabulous critique group leader, with a real knack for being supportive while simultaneously bulls-eyeing what I needed to do with my manuscript. So here’s a shout out to you, Ellen!

I also really enjoyed Magnus Toren, the curator of the Henry Miller Library at the park. I know, Henry Miller and kidlit make a rather bizarre combination, but so what? Magnus delivered a great lecture on Miller, and even serenaded us with one of my favorite songs about Big Sur, “South Coast.”

What impressed me the most about the workshop, though, was the number of truly dedicated writers there. They came from all over the United States, and not one was there just to dip his or her toe in the writing waters (which, needless to say, can be pretty damned icy). One writer came even though he recently suffered a stroke and is relearning how to speak—yet his attitude was incredibly upbeat. I guess that kinda puts fallen tree limbs into perspective, don’t you think?

P.S. According to their website, the next workshop will be held March 2-4 in Monterey instead of Big Sur. I’m not sure if this is a permanent move or not.

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[…] Anna at last December’s Big Sur workshop for childrens’ writers (see my previous blog entry, Back from Writer’s Boot Camp). I needed a ride home to Berkeley and she obliged; what followed was an immensely enjoyable […]